The recent rise in homelessness has its roots in welfare reform and the housing market, almost entirely accounted for by an increase in families losing their privately-rented housing, experts have said. The number of people officially recorded as sleeping on the streets of England rose from 1,768 in 2010 to…

A new research project between Oxford Brookes University and The Open University is investigating whether sharing photographs via social media mitigates loneliness in older people and enhances their wellbeing. The project, co-led by Professor Shailey Minocha of The Open University and Dr Sarah Quinton at Oxford Brookes University, is funded…

The Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University has been commissioned by Welsh Government to undertake a large scale evaluation of outcomes for looked after children including: A comparison of intended and actual placement outcomes for all children who came into care over a one year period A…

A young boy taken from his parents' care because social workers had sex abuse fears was moved from a foster home after a complaint about him being "roughly handled" by a new carer, a family court judge has heard. The youngster, now six, spent about 18 months at the foster…

A judge's decision to spare Oxford University student Lavinia Woodward from going straight to prison for stabbing her boyfriend risks putting male victims of domestic abuse off coming forward, a campaigner has warned. Mark Brooks, chairman of the ManKind Initiative, branded Woodward's sentence "unfair" and said she would have been…

An NHS trust has said it is "truly sorry" about the death of an epileptic teenager who drowned in a bath while in its care, after it admitted failings that led to his death. Connor Sparrowhawk (pictured), 18, who had learning difficulties, was found submerged in water at Slade House,…

A severely disabled man fears losing long-term carers after the Court of Appeal upheld cuts to his care funding, say his lawyers. Luke Davey, 41, had attempted to overturn Oxfordshire County Council's decision to reduce by 42% his weekly personal budget which funded a round-the-clock care package including the wages…

A severely disabled man has lost his battle in the Court of Appeal over cuts by a local authority to his care funding. Luke Davey, 41, was seeking to overturn Oxfordshire County Council's decision to reduce by 42% his weekly personal budget, which provided a 24-hour care package. Three appeal…